Graphic design
Accessible and Inclusive Design
Design that meets accessibility requirements and goes past them, for readers with disabilities and in more than one language.
What this covers
Accessible design means the people a campaign is meant to reach can perceive it, understand it, and act on it, including residents who are blind or have low vision, are Deaf or hard of hearing, have a color vision deficiency or a cognitive or learning disability, or read English as a second language. Inclusive design asks a further question at the concept stage: who is this idea likely to leave out, and what changes if the design starts from them?
HQT treats universal design as the starting point. Strong contrast, readable type, clear hierarchy, and plain language work for nearly everyone, including a resident reading a notice in bright sun or on a cracked phone screen. Legal requirements set the floor; most of the useful work sits above it, and that work can be documented as an enhancement. The method applies to every deliverable in this section.
Typical activities
- Requirements at kickoff. Record the applicable standards, the agency's policy, and the languages and formats needed, so they shape the concepts from the start.
- Contrast built into the palette. Define every text and background color as a tested pair. WCAG 2.2 Level AA requires contrast of at least 4.5 to 1 for normal text and 3 to 1 for large text, meaningful graphics, and interface components; where the design allows, key text meets the enhanced Level AAA ratio of 7 to 1. Confirm against the current WCAG version and the agency's own requirements.
- Color that never carries meaning alone. Pair color with labels, patterns, icons, or position in charts, maps, and status graphics, and review palettes under simulated color vision deficiencies.
- Type and layout for low vision. Set minimum type sizes per format; avoid thin weights, long passages in capitals, justified text, and text over busy photographs; and use layouts that reflow when enlarged.
- Plain language. Put the main point first, use common words, short sentences, and active voice, and write headings that say what follows.
- Alt text and captions in every deliverable. Write alternative text with the copy rather than afterward, caption and transcribe every video, and put audio description into the script.
- Accessible PDFs. Build tagged PDFs from structured source with reading order, headings, alternative text, table structure, document language, and a title, then test with a checker and a screen reader.
- Multilingual and transcreated materials. Adapt messages and images for each language community instead of translating word for word, with room for longer text, complete font support, and review by native speakers from the community.
- Easy-read versions. Short versions of key materials in simple sentences with supporting images, for readers with intellectual disabilities and many others.
- Testing with people with disabilities. Where budget allows, pay people with disabilities, including screen reader and magnification users, to try drafts before release.
What you receive
- A campaign accessibility plan. The applicable standards, the enhancements above the minimum chosen, the formats and languages to produce, and how each is verified.
- Templates with accessibility built in. Color pairs, type minimums, and reading order set in the templates, with a short guide so new pieces from the in-house team stay compliant.
- Automated check reports. For each generated piece, the measured contrast of every text and background pair and the smallest type size, with failures fixed before delivery.
- Manual review notes. Results of the checks only a person can make, such as reading order, alt text quality, and caption accuracy, with open items.
- Alternative formats. Large print, easy-read, and translated versions as specified, each tagged and checked like the original.
Considerations for public agencies
Know which digital standard applies. The Department of Justice rule implementing Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act adopts WCAG 2.1 Level AA for state and local government web content and mobile apps, including new documents and social media posts, with compliance dates that depend on entity size. HQT designs digital work to WCAG 2.2 Level AA, which builds on 2.1 and adds criteria. Confirm the rule, the dates, and any state requirements with counsel.
Effective communication goes beyond the web. Title II also covers print and in-person communication, which can mean large print, braille, or an interpreter on request. Put an accommodation request line, in each language, on public materials, and confirm obligations with the ADA coordinator.
Language access has its own rules. Recipients of federal funds have obligations under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, some states set their own translation requirements, and many agencies have a language access plan naming the languages covered. Federal guidance has changed recently, so confirm current obligations with counsel.
Review chains can undo accessibility. A paragraph added late in approvals often gets fitted by shrinking type or crowding the layout. Agree that changes reflow within the template minimums, and rerun checks after every round.
Write the enhancements down. When accessibility above the minimum is in scope, record each enhancement and how it was verified, so it can be reported and repeated in the next campaign.
Working with HQT on this
HQT generates campaign pieces from a design system and checks every generated piece automatically before a person reviews it: the contrast of each text and background pair against the WCAG ratios, and the minimum type size for the format. Automated checks cannot tell whether alt text describes what matters, whether reading order makes sense, whether a translation sounds right to its community, whether captions are accurate, or whether a reader can act on the message. Those need people, and where budget allows, people with disabilities.
An engagement usually starts with the agency's accessibility policy, language access plan, and one current campaign.
Frequently asked questions
What counts as an ADA enhancement above the minimum in a design contract?
Work within the scope of design services that goes past what the applicable standard requires, documented so it can be verified. Examples include designing digital work to WCAG 2.2 Level AA where the rule references 2.1, meeting enhanced contrast on key text, offering large print and easy-read versions by default, captioning every video including social posts, writing scripts so audio description is built in, transcreating key materials for major language communities, planning accessible events, and testing drafts with people with disabilities.
Which WCAG version should we name in a task authorization?
The Department of Justice rule implementing Title II references WCAG 2.1 Level AA. WCAG 2.2 states that content conforming to it also conforms to 2.1, and it adds criteria such as minimum target size and keeping the focused item from being hidden. Naming WCAG 2.2 Level AA therefore meets the rule and goes beyond it. Name the version and level explicitly, add PDF/UA for documents, and confirm the choice with counsel and your own accessibility policy.
If a PDF passes the accessibility checker, is it accessible?
Not necessarily. A checker confirms that tags, a title, a language, and alternative text fields exist, but it cannot tell whether the reading order makes sense, whether the alt text describes what matters, or whether a table reads correctly with a screen reader. HQT builds PDFs from structured source, runs the automated check, and then reviews the file with a screen reader. For key documents, an HTML page alongside the PDF is often easier for everyone to use.
Do we have to translate every piece into every language spoken in our community?
Usually not, but the decision should follow your language access plan and the law that applies. Agencies commonly translate vital documents and core campaign messages into the languages their plan designates, add a line in each language explaining how to get help, and produce other pieces on request. Transcreation adapts the message for each community instead of translating word for word. Requirements differ by state and funding source and have changed recently, so confirm them with counsel.
Do campaign social media posts need alt text and captions?
In practice, yes. The Department of Justice rule implementing Title II treats social media content a state or local government posts as web content, with an exception for posts made before the compliance date. Write alt text for every image post, caption every video, repeat any text that appears in an image in the post copy, and capitalize each word in a multiword hashtag so screen readers pronounce it correctly. Confirm the current rule and dates with counsel.